Thursday, May 08, 2008

Isadora's ear

Isadora's cauliflower ear is causing such problems with chronic ear infections that it looks like the best path is going to be total amputation. Not just the pinna, but all the way down into the middle and inner ear as well.

First of all, Isadora needs to be in shape for surgery, and at the moment, that's not a given at all. She has chronic upper respiratory infections; she's lost a lot of weight since the "Isadora the Hutt" days, and she has a potbelly that is disturbingly suggestive of fluid in the abdomen, a non-specific symptom, but not a good one in any case. So the first thing is a major work-up for her.

If she checks out ok for four systems on that work-up--heart, respiratory, kidney, and liver--then she's going to get major surgery to remove her outer, middle, and inner ear. It sounds as drastic as it is--the thing is, her cauliflower ear is so obstructed that the vet can't even see down into it to determine how extensive the infection is. It really needs to come out, if possible. So if she has the surgery, she'll stay at the vet's for a day or two of intensive care, and then she'll come home, looking like a total bad-ass, with an amputated ear and an Elizabethan collar.

I expect that will have an effect on the balance of power in our little cat society, too, as cats--like primates--seem to like to pick on anyone who appears vulnerable, and Isadora is one of the warring queens vying for dominance in our little world.

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